I bought it for the Green Papaya Salad I make in my Thai cooking class. Previously I taught people how to make the salad authentically, which means you hold it in your hand, hack the heck out of it with a sharp knife in quick strokes and then peel the shreds into the bowl. But it took a really long time, and I was always more than a little nervous that someone what going to hurt themselves (I have a great no-cuts track record in my classes, and I'd like to keep it!). A friend told me about the peeler that easily makes julienne slices, and off I went to Bed Bath & Beyond (with my coupons in hand!)
I've made "noodles" out of zucchini before, but since they're not in season, I started staring at the butternut squash sitting on my counter. Why not?
Unlike zucchini (which I've always used raw), butternut squash is much firmer, so I figured I would have to cook them. I tried it two ways: baked and boiled. Both worked for me, but boiling them for just a couple minutes gave them a little more texture, and I liked them better prepared that way. Baking them in a 400 degree oven is faster - cuz it takes a long time for a big pot of water to boil - and it produced a soft noodle.
Boiling the "noodles" for 2 minutes in a pot of salted water, made it more like spaghetti squash - a little bit of crunch to it. So it's up to you and your preference in texture. Either way, you'll dig it!
I've been working with clients lately who have a lot of food allergies and intolerances, so it always puts me in the frame of mind to re-create familiar dishes that they think they might never eat again. So along with the no grain aspect of this dish, I decided to toss it with a non-dairy pesto.
My pesto included basil, of course, but I also had a handful of cilantro and parsley left over from last week's classes (step outside the box on the greens in your pesto - any herbs, spinach, arugula, even kale will make a great pesto). Pop them into the food processor along with a couple cloves of garlic and nuts (I used walnuts, because I always have a big bag of them in my fridge). Since I was being "alternative" I decided to add a teaspoon of nutritional yeast to replace the Parmesan and pulsed them all until well blended. Then I left the motor running and drizzled in a 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (add more water as needed for desired consistency). Now you've got a lovely pesto. I always like to taste it first before I add salt. I ended up adding a couple of pinches salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and a little pinch of pepper. Perfect!
Just a bit of sliced Kalamata olives and chopped walnuts. And that was lunch.
For dinner, I tried the boiled version with the same pesto and served it with Spicy Cornmeal-Crusted Snapper. Now we're talkin'!
Happy girl....doing the happy dance!
Butternut Squash Noodles with Dairy-Free Pesto
Serves 4
3 lb. butternut squash, halved and peeled
2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup Italian parsley
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup walnuts, divided
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water (or more for desired consistency)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- Shred the butternut halves with a shredding peeler or use a mandolin to cut squash into thin ribbons.
- Place basil, cilantro, parsley, garlic, 1/4 cup of the walnuts and nutritional yeast in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil, then the water, then the lemon juice. Add more water if needed for desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Either bake squash noodles in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or boil in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.
- If baked, toss hot noodles with pesto and olives. Top with walnuts.
- If boiled, drain "noodles" and return to warm pot. Stir in pesto and olives. Top with walnuts.
Cook Happy!
